Shock-absorbing shackled suspension for car springs



M y 1930- E. SMOGROVICS 1,759,633

SHOGK ABSORBING, SHACKLED SUSPENSION FOR CAR SPRINGS Filed Aug. 12.- 1927 NVENT'OR:

ATTORN shackle Constructed in accordance with the Patented May 20, I

PATENT orrlcs EUGIEN sMoenovIos, or rnz nox, CZEGHOSLOVAKIA sHocx-nnsortnrne sHAcKLnn susrnnsron FOR can srnmes Application filed Au g'ust l 2 l927, Serial No. 212,417, and in Germany August 31, 1926. v I

' This invention relates to improvements in shock absorbing shackles for vehicle springs, the object of the invention being'to provide a device of this character which will afford entire security against excessive thrust in either direction andwill produce a certain bending of the leaves of the spring by means of which said leaves automatically act as "buifers for each-other, thereby producing a shock absorbing action.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth which is comparatively simple in construction, and in the use ofwhich the liability of breakage of the springs is ma'terially'lessened. a

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will'appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists inthe novel features of construction and combination of parts which will be more fully described hereinafterand particularly pointed out in the claim. 1

In the drawings accompanying and formingpart of this specification,

, Fig. 1 is a side view of a semielliptical ve-- hicle springprovided at one end with a present invention; y h

Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of one form of the improved shackle;

Fig. 3 is a side view of one end of a spring illustrating the improved shackle applied thereto in different manner from that of Fig.l;

Fig, 4 is a side view of a semiell-iptical spring in an inverted position and'provided with shackles at both "ends thereof;

' Fig. 5 is a diagrammaticside viewillus' trating in broken and dotted lines the operation of the spring with the shackle applied thereto as inFig'. 1; I v I Figs. 6', 7 and 8' illustrate in side view the operation of a shackle mounted ina manner 'difierent from thatiof-Fig. 15' I V I 9 is a perspective view. of a modified form'of shackle;

Figs. lO,"11an d 12" are side viewsillus'trat ing' the operationof theshackle shown in ig-.

Fig. 13 is aperspective'view of a shackle similar to that of Fig. 9, but adapted to be applied to the spring in the manner shown in Fig.3; and

' Figs. 14t,'15 and 16are side views illustrating the operation of the shackle illustrated in Fig. 13.

' Referring to the drawings, the three principal leaves of the spring are designated respectively 1, 2 and 3, the leaves 1 and 3 being" provided at one or both ends thereof with eyes a and b respectively for pivotal oonnec tion with the shackle members hereinafter described. In Fig. 1 the spring is provided with a shackle only at one end, 'the opposite end being formed with an eye 7 for anchoring the spring to the body of the vehicle, while in Fig. i the spring is illustrated as inverted and provided with shackles at both ends thereof. I

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5,"the

.shackle comprises a pair of arms cl and e respectively, the arm d being pivotedto'the eye a of spring leaf 1 while the arme is pivoted to the eye'b of spring leaf 3. The opposite ends of the arms (5' ande are pivoted upon a commonpivot 0 adapted to be seouredupo'n a fixed'portion of the vehicle frame. It is to be noted that in all of the forms illustrated herein, the arms are pivoted to the J first and third leaves of the spring, whereby The spring shown in Fig. 1 is intende there'is always a free leafbetween the piv- I oted -lea'ves.

be supportedfat its center in the usual manner on theaxle of avehicle, while the spring is pivotally connected to the bodyframe of the vehicle by'means of the'eye at one endv of thespring and the pivot .pin 0 passing through the adjacent eyes of the arms d and c pivotally'connected to the spring atothe oppositeendthereof. The operation of the device; when so connected is illustrated'in Fig. Assuming that the centerflof the spring sustains. an upward thrust as indi 1 ,c'ated bythearrowl. The pivot pin 0 being anchored onthe frame of thevehiclebody, is depressed,as indicated by the arrowII and 1, 'movesin'a vertical line. The pivotal points' i a and b, however, do notfollow the vertical movementofc but move in arcs of circles as indicated bythe lines w'w., and 3 y',. whereb'y-th'e'positi'ons of points it and 'b with relation to c are changed; as indicated by. the arrows III-. sBy reasonof thisaction. the

I ar n d'shifts to a positionnearer the vertical and thus-raises the point a, whilethe arm e. assumes a position nearer the horizontal and thereby moves the point downward. The effect of this movement is that the spring 1eaf3 is separated from the leaf 2 and forms a spaces between'said leaves2 and 3. This separation is assisted by the fact that simultaneouslyv'v'ith thefsaidniovement of points a and' b, the-point atthe opposite end of thespring isgalsoinoved 1n an arc of Q/CIIClG,

1 as indicated by the arrows at the left Qff'Fi'g.

11-, and, since the point f is'connected to the body,;as;is also the point b the latter must follow the movement of point; f toward the left,"which further accelerates the'movement ofithe armsd and@ in the. direction of arrows III, "Excessive separation ,of the spring leaves is, however prevented by reason .of

the fact that the leaf 1; being'considerably a greaterangular movement with relation tothe circumferential center of the arcs shorter than leaf 3, the point cunust execute and: y y than thepoint b,.jso that points a and I) tend to move toward each other;

7 Theoretically, the separation of the leaf 3 uifrom the leaf 2 :continuesas long as the points 7a and I) are both moving outward on the arcs, ze.w and. but" when said points arrive at the horizontal line of sa d arcs and begin to move inward, the movement of the leaves 1 toward" each othercommences] In" other Words; when the .pointsa and b pass beyond; theturning poiiits-of the arcs andthe spring begins to curve toward the opposite side, the shackle arms dand reverse thgir y :direction ofmovement round the {point 0, .whereby'nioveinent direction is accelerated and that of thepoint b retarded. As this action: continues {the leaf 3 3, 'contacts with the-leaf. 2, closesthe space the point in vertical sand exerts pressure on the. leaf 2, and conso strong. that further movement in the; ten sionin'g" directionis-stoppedand the return sequently also on the leaf 1.; until ilinallythe pressure of the leaves-on each other beconies 0f thespring begins If. the shockis a 'vio il yes. are. s eparated zonl yqat the ends, Oil" t e the space sai maximum. [of 2-5; mm. Thisjstoppingphase can be pred rml tlsmce 1i .jd r eespo t up- .In the forrn shown s lllustrated 1n an inverted position, in whlch form springsfof this :lGllCl are usuallyused j nected to the ends of thespring.

of the shackles.

transversely ofthe Vehicle. In this form the ward curvature of the spring and thelength in Fig. 4 thespring body of the vehicle is usually secured'to the I i center portion of the springand exerts pressure downwardly as indicated by the arrow I. Both ends of-the springin thisform n must necessarily bep'rovi'ded with shackles,

and the shacklesmust be more curved than those usedinconnection with a side sprung, 7

i order that the separating IDO-Vfilllfillfi may occur in the first stage of thespring action,

because in this .case the movement of wine end does not assist in, the; sep arationof the leaves at the other end of tne spring'asfin;

the case of side springslilie that'iillustrated J in'Fig. l, If'the'structure f'the car body should 7 require springs of lesscurvature shorter shackles inust be employed ln this form the pivot 3ffor connecting the shackles .to thefframe or chassis of the vehic le is dis;

posed outside of the are formed by thespringw however,'the ae'tionqof thespring under an scribed in connectionwith Fig. 1. This trans and above the latter; A5 will be obvious} upward thrustwill be the. same as that deverse spring, however, has the additional ac l-' v vantage that vin the event ofa side thrust to the manner in which the shacklesare con- 1 i 3 v a' s a s lf'e ht s e s i adapted to be supported at its center onthe axle of the chassis, asin F1g .'l,-but'hav1ng its pivotal connection o forjcbnnecting with the body ofthe vehicle 'disposed above t spring; Inthis formth e separation ,of the ence in angular movement of the".leaves'" 3- .and l. In other words, thele'afBQeXecutes I on thevehicle body, it is automatically forced Q I to settle itself into. its correct-position owing leaves 3 and 2 corresponds maintainer a greater angular movementfthan "does the 11 leaf 1, andthe difference in theselmoveinents controls the extentof separation of the'leaf 3 from the leaf 2;while' theainwardbending of botlrends'of the spring acts to close said- {Inithe forni shown; the? shackle arm's, cl and e are separately-pivoted at o and 0. respectively upon the chas'sisif Byjhrieli' son of the fact howeven lthat the pivotal points c f ELlICl l C? are disposed "fabove 'and' 'below the spring th 1 same effect is obtained asalreadydescribed pivotal points "0 and 6 which. are disposed.

move downwards under" the weight, of; the

straighten, -{thu sf' moving the p1vots of fthe 7 arms .al andcgoutwa in in th Minnelli I w ereby the IPWQ "e t-len ts fa and 5 130 suectively 3120 in fixed relation .to each: other on the chlassis, l I

v c e b' dy,.=the; pring leaves; t ndt6 l spring.

separate one from the other and thus cause a separation of the leaves of the springas illustrated in Fig. 7. However, when the ends of the leaves have passed-below a horizontal line intersecting the arcs described by said ends, the leaves again contact with each other as illustrated in Fig. '8, until finally the 7 pressure becomes so great that further movement of the spring in, the same direction is prevented.

All of the foregoing examples illustrate the characteristic that at the center stage of the spring action the leaves of the spring separate. However, this action prevents the disadvantage that the upper leaves atthis stage lose part of their support. This disadvantage is entirely overcome by the forms of the device shown in Figs. 9 to 16.

In Fig. 9 is shown in perspective a shackle joint in which the arm's'cl and e are illustrated as an integral unit. Inasmuch, however, as

during the springing action the leaves of the spring glide on each other the shackle can be attached to only one leaf of the spring.

In this case, the shackles at opposite sides the spring at a and to the vehicleframe at 0. the rodb being provided with a covering tube 9 of leather, rubber or other suitable material,

the shackles being pivoted to one leaf of the spring at a and to the vehicle frame at 0. I

In Figs. 10,11 and 12, the shackle is connected to the top leaf of the spring and the frame connection is disposed below the spring, while in Figs. 14, 15 and 16the shackle is connected to the lower leaf 3 ofthe spring and the frame connection is disposed above the In the device illustrated in these two series of figures, the covered rod 6 lies in contact respectively with the lower and upper leaves of thespring. In both'of these series, there is no separation of the leaves ofthe'spring, but instead therod b is moved away from its position'adj acent to thespring when the spring is'under pressure of a ver tical thrust. In the final stage of the spring action, the rod .7) returns into contact with the spring and exerts pressure thereon. The two seriesof Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 14, 15, 16

illustrate respectively the three phases of operationof the device when theshackles are I pivoted to the frame below andabove the spring respectively.-

"Having thus described my invention what Iclaimis: i 1

A shacklesuspension for an upward and downward limitation of the flexing action'ofvehicle springs, the combination. with a semielliptical spring, of ashackle joint having threeacting points di'sposedin Vashaped relation to each other, one of said. points being disposed in position to exert a downward pressure on the spring at a point 'within the, lengthof the longest leaf of the spring, another of said points being disposed in position to exert an .upward pressure on the spring at the upward and downward stopping stage of the flexing actionat a point nearer the end of said longest leaf than the point at which the downward pressureis exerted, the third one of said points being adapted for'pivotal connection with a supporting frame, at least one end of a spring ,le'af being disposed between the downwardly andupwardly acting points, of the shackle joint, whereby said end is released temporarily at the middle stage of the downward EUGEN SMOGROVICS. 

